Australian Story
A Feeling for the Water (2) (18x42)
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Part two of the top rating 'A Feeling For The Water' opens with Murray Rose's move to California to begin a university scholarship.
America in the later 1950s was an attractive fit for Rose and his varied interests, including vegetarianism, spirituality and acting.
Already a gold medallist three times over in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Rose went on to swim one of his most famous races at Rome in 1960, perfecting his strategy of out-psyching opponents and winning gold again in the 400 metres.
Now with a fourth gold medal, Rose looked set to dominate his events for years to come until the controversial decision to exclude him from the Tokyo Olympics team in 1964 – a decision that polarises officials until this day.
Before he died, Murray Rose was working on a candid memoir and in this program, some of the sport's biggest names and his close family members offer an insight into a man who, it transpires, was much more than a fast swimmer.